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Etienne Hamel




Location: Granby (QC) canada
Joined: 09 Sep 2006

Posts: 443

PostPosted: Mon 02 Nov, 2009 4:40 pm    Post subject: need viking shield info         Reply with quote

Hi everyone, i would like to make a viking shield project and i need your help. i have found a website for the making of the shield blank so that is not the problem... i would like to know what are the stuff required to make a nice looking shield grip.
i would do a shield of 28 inch of diameter or maybe more still thinking about that.
the shield would be made of 15mm thick plywood is it ok or should i take a bigger thickness?
the covering of the shield would be canvas Soaked in mod pudge glue (my mother think it would be ok)
i found a shield boss for the shield for 25$ cnd made of 14 gauge steel is it enough for traning?

oh and before i forget i don't even know how to make a central grip, is ther some styles of central grip or it can be made all straight (without curves for the hand)?

thanks.
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Sam Gordon Campbell




Location: Australia.
Joined: 16 Nov 2008

Posts: 678

PostPosted: Mon 02 Nov, 2009 6:44 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Hm... Well what I've done with mine is make it as light yet as strong as I could.
What type of combat/training are you going to use it for? SCA, live steel, martial arts?
How long do you want it to last? As (from what I've learned anyway) shields weren't really designed to last more than a couple of battles.
As a general rule of thumb (that I've used), the diameter only realy needs to cover till your elbow, then maybe a bit more; anything up from 1cm thickness, once the edging and canvas or linen (and lots of glue), and the boss, and then the handle have been added, it begins to get surprisingly heavy Laughing Out Loud
A 2mm thick boss should be fine for training, heck, even sparring.
And central grips come in lots of different varieties, some only come to the edge of the boss and are rounded, other are as simple as a piece of broom handle nailed on.
But I'd say, if you want a metal handle, get the small curved ones, and if you want a straight one (which is more common I believe), just used some decent wood.

Good luck.



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This is my older kit, shield basicaly the same as yours might be :P

Member of Australia's Stoccata School of Defence since 2008.
Host of Crash Course HEMA.
Founder of The Van Dieman's Land Stage Gladiators.
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Viktor Abrahamson




Location: Sweden
Joined: 07 Aug 2008
Likes: 2 pages

Posts: 74

PostPosted: Mon 02 Nov, 2009 11:54 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Read about viking shields actually found in this link:

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~chrisandpeter/shield/shield.html

If you cover your shield in canvas 15mm is pretty thick.
The originals were about 6mm, but probably faced with leather or linnen. (Multiple layers of linnen makes it strong).
When the shield breaks (it probably will eventually) you can remove the boss and attach it to another shield.

Some viking shields were as big as 90-100cm (35-39")

/Viktor
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Johan S. Moen




Location: Kristiansand, Norway
Joined: 26 Jan 2004

Posts: 259

PostPosted: Tue 03 Nov, 2009 2:16 am    Post subject: Re: need viking shield info         Reply with quote

Etienne Hamel wrote:

the shield would be made of 15mm thick plywood is it ok or should i take a bigger thickness?


That's, at least where I come from, way overkill. 6-8 mm is plenty for active use in combat with rebated steel; 15 mm on the other hand is probably going to make you tired very fast...

14g for the boss is fine. It will probably take some dents from fighting, but it will hold up well while not being too heavy.

Johan Schubert Moen
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Etienne Hamel




Location: Granby (QC) canada
Joined: 09 Sep 2006

Posts: 443

PostPosted: Tue 03 Nov, 2009 4:35 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

it would be more for live steel so are you sue that the 6-8 mm thick would do because i saw on hurstwic the damage on a shield that an axe would do sure my shield would be reinforced with metal but is the shield will last ?
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Bjorn Hagstrom




Location: Höör, Skane
Joined: 25 Oct 2007
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Reading list: 8 books

Posts: 355

PostPosted: Tue 03 Nov, 2009 5:19 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Etienne Hamel wrote:
it would be more for live steel so are you sue that the 6-8 mm thick would do because i saw on hurstwic the damage on a shield that an axe would do sure my shield would be reinforced with metal but is the shield will last ?


I use 4mm plywood with one layer of linen glued to the face and rawhide edging, it holds upp well to live steel combat. Actually the most important part that takes the most damage is ususally the edge, so make sure you do that part of the job well. Once the edge start to go, the shield will disintegrate rapidly.

There is nothing quite as sad as a one man conga-line...
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Etienne Hamel




Location: Granby (QC) canada
Joined: 09 Sep 2006

Posts: 443

PostPosted: Tue 03 Nov, 2009 5:25 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

and what if i use some steel covered with raw hide?
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Bjorn Hagstrom




Location: Höör, Skane
Joined: 25 Oct 2007
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PostPosted: Tue 03 Nov, 2009 5:44 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I would actually not recommend reinforcing the edge with steel (even if covered with rawhide) much work for little gain and extra weight.

Also if the steel edge become exposed, it will provide a hard slippery surface on which weapon edges might bounce and/or slip in a way less safe than bare rawhide. A lot of hits and strikes will be within inches of your face, and metal-on-metal hits that close would make me uncomfortable.

There is nothing quite as sad as a one man conga-line...
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Etienne Hamel




Location: Granby (QC) canada
Joined: 09 Sep 2006

Posts: 443

PostPosted: Tue 03 Nov, 2009 5:52 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

ok so if i understand correctly i should go for 95% of the shield organic stuff (raw hide wood but low metal as it woudl be too heavy and maybe unconfortable) is that right?

oh, and is there some people who have some pictures of the grip of their shield to help me in the making of mine?
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Bjorn Hagstrom




Location: Höör, Skane
Joined: 25 Oct 2007
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Reading list: 8 books

Posts: 355

PostPosted: Tue 03 Nov, 2009 5:57 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

The only metal on your shield should be the boss, and maybe the handle (although wood handle is more practical, lighter and cheaper) and mails and rivets.

Check out the thread "Show us your shields" in this very forum. I know there where several viking shields poster there.

http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t...w++shields

Good luck!

There is nothing quite as sad as a one man conga-line...
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Viktor Abrahamson




Location: Sweden
Joined: 07 Aug 2008
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Posts: 74

PostPosted: Tue 03 Nov, 2009 6:14 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Here are some grips. Some made of wood and some in iron.


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Etienne Hamel




Location: Granby (QC) canada
Joined: 09 Sep 2006

Posts: 443

PostPosted: Tue 03 Nov, 2009 7:34 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Viktor the two last of the shields are my style but what did you use to stick them in place and im speaking of the grip of course.
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Elling Polden




Location: Bergen, Norway
Joined: 19 Feb 2004
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PostPosted: Tue 03 Nov, 2009 7:52 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

We usually just nail them on. You can either use the same nails that you use to attatch the boss, or separate ones. Be sure to offsett the handle so that your hand (incluing any gloves) fits comfortably, though.
"this [fight] looks curious, almost like a game. See, they are looking around them before they fall, to find a dry spot to fall on, or they are falling on their shields. Can you see blood on their cloths and weapons? No. This must be trickery."
-Reidar Sendeman, from King Sverre's Saga, 1201
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Viktor Abrahamson




Location: Sweden
Joined: 07 Aug 2008
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Posts: 74

PostPosted: Tue 03 Nov, 2009 10:44 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I use iron rivets and or nails.
If you use rivets it looks nicer with handmade rivets and handmade washers.
The same with nails. Make sure you use long nails that can be bent on the backside to secure them.

I photographed the rivet.

And I found a good painting on the net wich will show you the basics.



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Etienne Hamel




Location: Granby (QC) canada
Joined: 09 Sep 2006

Posts: 443

PostPosted: Tue 03 Nov, 2009 12:29 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

with an old brown color the style of the shield would be magnificent!!! Eek!
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Viktor Abrahamson




Location: Sweden
Joined: 07 Aug 2008
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Posts: 74

PostPosted: Tue 03 Nov, 2009 11:11 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

The old brown color will come naturally after a while Wink
This is a picture of the front of the same shield, faced with leather and edged with rawhide.

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Johan S. Moen




Location: Kristiansand, Norway
Joined: 26 Jan 2004

Posts: 259

PostPosted: Wed 04 Nov, 2009 4:17 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Etienne Hamel wrote:
it would be more for live steel so are you sue that the 6-8 mm thick would do because i saw on hurstwic the damage on a shield that an axe would do sure my shield would be reinforced with metal but is the shield will last ?


What is your definition of "live steel"? Do you mean combat with blunt/rebated steel weapons, or with sharp ones? In the first case, 6-8 mm is plenty. You just have to live with the fact that the shield will get damaged and eventually destroyed; making an "indestructable" shield is just going to give you an overly heavy monstrosity. In the latter case, the shield would probably end up dead no matter what you make it from, barring titanium with a kevlar cover...

Johan Schubert Moen
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Viktor Abrahamson




Location: Sweden
Joined: 07 Aug 2008
Likes: 2 pages

Posts: 74

PostPosted: Thu 05 Nov, 2009 2:44 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Quote:
it would be more for live steel so are you sue that the 6-8 mm thick would do because i saw on hurstwic the damage on a shield that an axe would do sure my shield would be reinforced with metal but is the shield will last ?


Etienne, as they write on the Hurstwic site the shield with facing survived several blows in a row from a sharp axe.
The facing prevent the boards from splitting apart.
If you are still worried I suggest you use several layers of linen or leather, remember that you can cover the backside of the shield as well. (before the grip is attached)

/Viktor

Ah... another importent thing to think about is that if you use linen as facing make sure the fibres of the cloth don´t run along the same direction as the boards. Because the cloth rips easily that way. (hope that makes sense(my english isn´t the best)).
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David Huggins




Location: UK
Joined: 25 Jul 2007

Posts: 490

PostPosted: Thu 05 Nov, 2009 7:38 am    Post subject: Viking shield         Reply with quote

Hi

I can only repeat much off what has already been said...but will add my two penneth worth!

For 'live steel' combat I tend to make a shield of 5/8ths of an inch thick, and as I am quite tall about 35 inches in diameter, faced with leather, and raw hide edged which I sew while semi damp to the leather covered ply board.

The leather will absorb some of the blow, and the rawhide edge when dry and hardened will prevent some damage to blows to its edge. It's length of service can depend on the type of 'combat' that you intend to use it for, but I never expect it to last longer then a re-enactment annual season.

I have made and used Linden wood planked shields in the past, again rawhide edged but linen covered..it didn't last long in a full contact face off. Perhaps it is not suprising that opponents in a holmgang duel where allowed three shields!

I also quickly learned that painting overwrought decoration to a re-enactment shield could prove to be a waste of time, keep your decoration simple unless you you don't mind shield making and decoration.

regards
Dave

and he who stands and sheds blood with us, shall be as a brother.
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Vilkas V.




Location: norcal
Joined: 10 Aug 2009

Posts: 15

PostPosted: Fri 06 Nov, 2009 8:44 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Okay, don't use plywood. Get yourself some pine planks from the hardware store and but them together to make a plank. Cut to size by what ever means you want. Then face with linen or leather. Facing plywood would is just a waste.
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